Arsenal vs. Villarreal live score, result, highlights as Viktor Gyokeres prepares for preseason friendly debut

Arsenal face their next preseason test as they welcome Villarreal to Emirates Stadium on Wednesday.

Mikel Arteta will hope to give more minutes to some of his new signings, including Viktor Gyokeres, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, and Noni Madueke, in front of a home crowd in north London.

Arsenal's preseason tour of Asia was largely a success, beating AC Milan and Newcastle United before a 1-0 loss to rivals Tottenham. They will contest this match plus one more friendly in the Emirates Cup on Saturday before readying for the season proper.

For Villarreal, however, preseason has been foreboding. The club has done more selling than buying this summer, and they have slogged through a winless summer ramp-up that features draws with Leeds United and Real Oviedo plus defeats to Genoa and Sporting CP.

The Sporting News is following the match live, providing score updates and highlights.

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Arsenal vs. Villarreal live score

Starting lineups:

Arsenal (4-3-3, right to left): Raya (GK) — White, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly — Odegaard, Rice, Havertz — Saka, Gyokeres, Madueke

Villarreal (4-4-2, right to left): Conde (GK) — Foyth, Kambwala, Mourino, Pedraza — Buchanan, Gueye, Suarez, Pino — Pepe, Danjuma

Arsenal vs. Villarreal kick off time

This preseason friendly kicks off at 6 p.m. local time in London, UK.

Here is how that time translates across some of the major territories:

Arsenal vs. Villarreal highlights

This section will be updated when highlights become available.

Arsenal vs. Villarreal lineups, team news

Arsenal have a few nagging injuries to work around as the season approaches. Riccardo Calafiori, Leandro Trossard, and Alberto Lokonga have all missed recent training due to minor injuries and will be considered unlikely to participate.

Gabriel, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Jurrien Timber, Oleksandr Zinchenko, and Reiss Nelson have all returned to training after recent fitness concerns, but may be treated with caution.

Viktor Gyokeres could start up front for the first time since joining from Sporting CP earlier this summer, while Noni Madueke is hoping to make his first appearance for the club after returning from an extended holiday following his time at the Club World Cup with Chelsea.

Gabriel Jesus is still working his way back from an ACL tear, hoping to be back in contention by October, while Fabio Viera is not with the squad as he works on securing a move away.

Arsenal projected lineup (4-3-3, right to left): Raya (GK) — White, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly — Odegaard, Rice, Havertz — Saka, Gyokeres, Madueke.

Arsenal subs: Matchday squad released one hour prior to kickoff

Villarreal have banked significant funds on the departures of strikers Alex Baena and Thierno Barry this offseason, but have not replaced them as of now. They brought in winger Alberto Moleiro from Las Palmas, but he is not a like-for-like replacement at the head of the attack.

The thought could be to give Arnaut Danjuma another go after he returned from his loan at Girona last season, while aging Ayoze Perez, former Arsenal star Nicolas Pepe, or youth product Etta Eyong could get a chance as well.

Defender Logan Costa will be missing for likely the rest of 2025 after tearing his ACL in mid-July.

Villarreal projected lineup (4-4-2, right to left): Conde (GK) — Foyth, Kambwala, Mourino, Pedraza — Buchanan, Gueye, Suarez, Pino — Pepe, Danjuma.

Villarreal subs: Matchday squad released one hour prior to kickoff

Arsenal vs. Villarreal live stream, TV channel

Here's how to watch this preseason friendly match across selected areas of the world's major regions: